UGA Fraternities Paid to Move

The University of Georgia has paid two fraternities nearly $2.4 million to move to houses off-campus. UGA officials moved five fraternities from along South Lumpkin Street and plan to build new homes for the UGA School of Family and Consumer Sciences, the Terry College of Business and other academic buildings. Contracts released by UGA last week show that the university paid Chi Phi fraternity $1.75 million to move from its house and Kappa Alpha got $600,000 to move out of a nearby residence. The three other fraternities on South Lumpkin opted to move into a new Greek Park on East Campus scheduled to done in the fall instead of taking money from the school. The school released contracts to the Athens Banner-Herald under an open records request.

(Associated Press)

Contribution Reports Due Out Tuesday

All state, county, and local candidates for office must file financial disclosures Tuesday. These disclosures could give statewide candidates a boost heading into the fall.

None of the candidates for statewide office are expected to smash fundraising records this quarter, with the economy in a slump and a diverse field of politicians seeking various open seats, including the governorship. Yet, a strong surprise showing in contributions could boost a dark horse candidate into serious contention, while a poor showing by a front runner could cast doubt on their campaign. Also, lesser known candidates could be sunk early if they fail to show their ability to raise money to fund a statewide campaign. According to the State Ethics Commission, which tracks campaign contributions, Republicans have out raised Democrats so far this year by about a 2-1 margin, with the vast majority of the money collected by both parties coming from Fulton County.

Find a handy little map breaking this year's contributions here.

Georgia Nets $40M for Energy Upgrades

Federal officials say Georgia will receive $32.9 million in federal funds to support energy efficiency and renewable energy projects across the state. The grant, announced Monday, is part of the nearly $82.5 million the department will award Georgia under the Federal-State Energy Program. Georgia's proposal for the money outlined plans for increasing the use of renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The U.S. Department of Energy says the state will receive more than $41 million in additional funding upon demonstrating successful implementation of that plan.

(Associated Press)

Graduation Test Pass Rates Surge

Georgia more than doubled the rate of high school students passing their second attempt at the state's science and social studies graduation tests this year. Data released from the state Department of Education on Monday shows that nearly 1,400 students passed the exam this year, or 68 percent of the students who took it. That's compared to the 27 percent who passed the social studies retest and the 29 percent who passed the science retest last year. A new program that gives students who failed the tests an extra two weeks of intensive study before they try again helped boost the rate. Georgia students must pass every section of the high school graduation test - English language arts, mathematics, science, social studies writing - to graduate.

(Associated Press)

Swine Flu Grounds Chinese Orchestra

A 49-member high school orchestra from China has canceled a two-concert visit to the Atlanta area because of a travel ban imposed by a provincial government to deal with the swine flu outbreak. The Hangzhou Zhongee Wenlan High School orchestra was scheduled to perform July 25 at the Rialto Theatre in Atlanta and the next day at the Centre for Performing & Visual Arts in Newnan. In Newnan, organizers had lined up host families, cultural exchanges, sightseeing trips, a group dinner and celebrations. The Chinese schools principal sent a letter last week saying his provincial education department had banned students from going abroad. The decree followed the death of a 34-year-old woman in Hangzhou, who was infected with the flu virus and had just returned from the U.S.

(Associated Press)

Sea Turtles Have a New On-Line Home

Fans of Georgia sea turtles can now log on to the internet and keep track of recently discovered nesting sites. The web site will also help researchers manage the data collected daily from May to October each year. The site is a collaboration between the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.

In a statement on the sea turtle.org website, a spokesperson for the group called the new Sea Turtle Nest Monitoring System "a revolution in sea turtle conservation and management."

Sea turtles are considered as either endangered or threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. However, Georgia Department of Natural Resources officials are confident the nests are safe from overenthusiastic sightseers.

"More than anything, I believe that this database will allow people to see where the turtles are nesting. And, it goes a long way simply because many of the residents of coastal Georgia are somewhat competitive about which turtles nest on their beaches, so its kinda something they want to know. For researchers, I don't think that they're necessarily worried about people going out and disturbing the nests," says Christina Summers.

Researchers and sea turtle fans will be able to coordinate nesting data on-line in real-time for four species of sea turtles, along 710 miles of coastline between North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia for approximately 4,800 nests each year. To learn how many turtles have nested this season --- and where they are -– go on line to www.seaturtle.org.

Federal Government Considers Savannah River Site Near Augusta for Mercury Storage

The federal government is considering the Savannah River Site near Augusta, along with six other sites, for the storage of more than 10,000 metric tons of mercury.

Officials are searching for a site to store the mercury, as federal law will ban the sale or export of the element by 2013, and require the federal government to store it.

Mercury is produced in the manufacturing of caustic soda and chlorine at a handful of plants in the U.S. It's also a by-product in gold mining, and in recycling and waste recovery.

Mercury is controversial, since it causes developmental disabilities in children, and also harm fetal development.

It's already a sore spot in Augusta, where environmental groups have been calling for the Olin Corporation to stop using the element in the manufacture of chlorine. A bill in Congress also seeks to eliminate mercury from the few chlorine plants that still use it. Olin, meanwhile, has maintained that is mercury use its safe.

The Savannah River Site is a massive federal entity that processes nuclear materials near Augusta.

The U.S. Department of Energy, meanwhile, will hold a public comment period on the proposal to store mercury. There will be a public meeting in North Augusta, South Carolina on July 30.

For more information, click here.

Coke Rival To Invest Big in Russia

The number two soft drink maker behind Atlanta-based CocaCola, PepsiCo says it will team up with its largest bottler, Pepsi Bottling Group, to invest $1 billion in Russia over three years. PepsiCo calls it part of a long-term strategy to expand in emerging markets. The investment will be used to boost manufacturing and distribution capacity in Russia - an "attractive growth market." PepsiCo is also opening a new beverage facility this week in Domodedovo and will open a snacks manufacturing plant in Azov later this year. The PepsiCo plant in Domodedovo will produce Pepsi-Cola andother beverages. Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo is the world's second-biggest maker of soft drinks behind Coca-Cola Co.

(Associated Press)

Lawsuit In Gwinnett P.D. Taser Incident

An employee at a Loganville Waffle House has filed a lawsuit against the Gwinnett County Police Department after he says an officer stunned him with a Taser for fun. The department's internal investigation records show that the officer used the weapon like a toy with tacit approval from two superior officers. The waiter, 22-year-old Daniel Wilson, spoke publicly about the encounter last week. The incident led to the arrest of 33-year-old Cpl. Gary Miles and the resignations of Sgt. Christopher Parry and Sgt. Joey Parkerson. Wilson said the restaurant provided police with free food and all three officers were regulars there. He said the officers often pointed the red laser from their Taser at him playfully but that Miles zapped him with it in February.

(Associated Press)

Job Far Cancelled; No One Is Hiring

The city of Marietta has canceled a job fair because most of the companies involved aren't hiring. Marietta city councilman Anthony Coleman said he didn't want to give people attending the Marietta/Cobb Career Expo "false hope." He said he plans to revive the expo next year. The event is usually held annually in the fall at the Cobb Civic Center. Last year, the job expo drew more than 70 employers and 1,500 jobseekers.

(Associated Press)